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Supreme Court denies emergency injunction in contraception case

Submitted by JAC on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 12:00am

Last week, the US Supreme Court denied a request from Hobby Lobby for an emergency injunction blocking ACA's contraception coverage requirements. Beginning January 1st, the company will incur daily fines if they refuse to comply with the requirements.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Hobby Lobbys request for an emergency injunction to block the health reform laws contraceptive coverage requirements and said it will not decide the case before lower courts have ruled.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the store owner doesn't meet the extremely high standards required for a preliminary injunction. It's not "absolutely" clear that they need the injunction and lower courts have been divided on whether to grant similar requests, she wrote, though she adds that the court doesn't have much experience with similar religious-based claims for emergency injunctions.

"Even without an injunction pending appeal, the applicants may continue their challenge to the regulations in the lower courts. Following a final judgment, they may,if necessary, file a petition" for the Supreme Court to hear the case, she wrote.